Mercy Date
by Angelina1
Summary: Clark does a favor; Lex throws a party but has some plans of his own concerning his best friend and a certain someone....(Clark/Lana)
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Rated NC-17 (not this part, but later chapters). Another little Lana/Clark ditty - a Christmas themed story. I had to involve Lex (my personal fav) - just 'cause I like his little machinations to bring Clark and Lana together. Favorite plot: You know he took care of Whitney's tryout the day of Lana's party! Let's see - Cupid's bald and Lex is ... coincidence? I think not. Should he go for something as heavy handed as mistletoe or being trapped in the same room together?  
  
Check out my other stories: http://www.angelfire.com/realm/wolfhowl/smallvillehome.htm  
  
Mercy Date  
  
by Angelina  
  
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I've been walkin' through life with a bullet proof vest,  
  
Shielding emotions, acting like I couldn't care less  
  
I kept love at a distance, my defenses were locked and alert  
  
Then you say hello, and the next thing I know  
  
I'm ready to risk being hurt  
  
~Jamie O'Neal, "No More Protecting My Heart"~  
  
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He almost thought he would have a heart attack as she drew nearer to him. It wasn't the same queasy, faint feeling he got whenever there were meteor fragments in the area. This was love-sick puppiness at its best. One glimpse of her long dark hair and shining face, and he was lost once again. Even Chloe and Pete had given up taking bets upon his adolescent malady. Luckily this time he was sitting down, so he didn't have to worry about falling or tripping over someone or thing.  
  
"Clark," Her soft feminine voice carried across the courtyard to where he was sitting, crystal clear to his unusually powerful hearing. He was just starting to notice that he had the capability of hearing things that others couldn't, but like his x-ray vision, it had to be practiced and perfected before he could control it at will. Clark shook his head to focus his attention, his dark hair ruffled by the crisp late autumn wind. Lana was breathless by the time she reached his table, shivering even with the heavy wool coat wrapped about her. She rubbed her arms to warm herself, her chest heaving slightly as her breath came in short puffs of steam. It was said chest to which Clark's hazel eyes seemed to be affixed, the rise and fall having a hypnotic effect upon his teenage hormones. Snap out of it, Kent. "Clark?"  
  
"Hi, Lana." Suddenly the courage he had developed in his fantasies evaporated into the frigid air. Of course, one of the benefits of being impervious to most dangers was that he also wasn't adversely affected by dramatic changes in temperatures. While she was freezing, he barely even noticed a chill. He fumbled with his books as he attempted to gather his scattered thoughts into some semblance of order that wouldn't embarrass him if it tumbled unexpectedly out of his mouth. She shifted her bag to her other hand and pushed her hair out of her face with the free one. Clark wondered absently if all women were born with the seductive hair-flipping trait, or if they had to go to some secret school for it. He was able to muster enough  
  
courage to gaze up at her beautiful face, fighting the reaction that a gut- punch would have had on a regular person. "How's it going?" How lame was that? Couldn't you come up with anything better?  
  
"Fine, Clark. Really looking forward to Christmas break," she said, studying him with a confused expression upon her face. "Aren't you cold sitting out here? I'm freezing."  
  
"No, it's not that bad, guess I'm just used to it by now." He looked around at the few students who happen to be outside, most getting on buses or to their cars to go home . "Were you specifically looking for me?"  
  
"Well, I'm not out here for my health," she quipped back, smiling sweetly. "I have a favor to ask of you, but I wasn't sure if you'd do it or not. I feel kinda stupid for asking anyway."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You know Lex's party next week?"  
  
"Yeah, he invited me but I wasn't sure if I was going to go or not."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"No date," Clark shrugged, a bit ashamed he had to admit it to her.  
  
"That's great." Her voice rose with excitement, Clark wasn't quite certain how to take her enthusiasm. Could it possibly mean....that Whitney's not going to be here and she needs a date? And somewhere back in his consciousness, What does that matter? Do you think you could stop saving the world long enough to be a proper escort? "Oh, I didn't mean that how it sounded. Sorry."  
  
"It's okay...I think. What do you have in mind?"  
  
"I need someone to escort my cousin to the party. She's going to be in town and Nell says that I have to take her with me and Whitney. So I need someone to..."  
  
"Be a mercy date, huh?"  
  
"I'd really owe you one, Clark. And she's actually pretty." Lana added the last bit to reassure him that he wouldn't be saddled with a bruised fruit from the ugly tree.  
  
Clark couldn't resist smiling at her attempt to insure his cooperation. His hazel eyes sparkled in the waning daylight. "I'd say you'd have to say that anyway since she's family, but if she related to you...and Nell...I won't doubt that's she quite attractive."  
  
Lana blushed at the compliment. "Uh, thanks...I knew I count count on you." She shivered again as a cold blast whipped her hair and coat about her. "I don't know about you, but I'm heading back inside where it's warm." Waving goodbye to him over her shoulder, she jogged back to the side door of the school. Leaving Clark to sit there and ponder the usual....  
  
How did I get myself into this?  
  
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"So why did you change your mind and decide to come to the party after all?" Lex raised a faint eyebrow as he regarded his friend over a not-so- friendly game of pool. Clark was quickly surpassing Lex's billiards capabilities, and it was difficult for the older man not to resort to cheating in order to gain the upper hand in the game they were currently playing. Clark just smiled the usually brilliant Kent smile and took an extraordinarily difficult shot with a finesse that Lex found hard to credit. Lex muttered to himself, "I think I've created a monster."  
  
Clark shrugged as he set down the pool cue for a moment. "I don't know..."  
  
"Yes, you do. When I asked you to come, you were adamant about not attending. Even when I said that Lana was going to be there." Lex crossed his arms across his chest, an impatient look forming upon his face. "Did something happen I don't know about? Like Whitney falling in a hole or something?"  
  
"No, but Lana asked me to escort her cousin, so that she and Whitney could attend. How was I supposed to tell her no?"  
  
"She must have been very persuasive," Lex quipped sarcastically. He reached for a bottle of water and twisted the lid off, then downed a large swallow before continuing. "Don't tell me you agreed to a mercy date."  
  
"That's what I called it, but Lana assured me she was quite pretty."  
  
"If she's related to Lana, I would place good money on it. But still, it's a mercy date. The goal, I thought, was to hook up with Lana."  
  
"Kinda hard with Whitney there."  
  
"You should have taken my advice and left him in the damn truck." Lex smiled one of those ruthless little half-smirks that caught Clark off- guard. The younger man was never quite certain when Lex was jesting about doing something so horrible. "However, this little favor will definitely make you look good in Lana's eyes. That is, if you can actually show up for the party. Your track record isn't exactly great."  
  
Clark frowned slightly at Lex's comment, but let it slide because he knew that it was the truth. He hadn't been very good at keeping his so-called non-dates with Lana. "Maybe I'll just stay here the night before. Then I'm sure to be on time and in the right place?"  
  
Lex laughed softly and moved around the side of the table to slap Clark on the back in a friendly gesture. "It'd be my luck you'd get lost somewhere in this monstrosity and we couldn't find you for a week. Can you imagine what I'd have to say to your dad? 'Sorry, Mr. Kent, but it seems that we've misplaced your son.' Your dad would kill me."  
  
"Nah, he'd just chalk it up to one more strange thing caused by LuthorCorp."  
  
Both men doubled over laughing at the ludicrous idea. But Lex's mind was working overtime, hatching the next plan to get Lana and Clark together after all. And the party was an ideal place to start. 


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who gave such great reviews of the first part. I thought the limo appropriate to dispell some of the stupidity of "freshmen" actually driving vehicles. Now I know there are some states that allow permits at fifteen, but the typical freshman (no offense because I completely include myself when I was that age) does not need to behind the wheel of a car, especially ones as nice as those that pop up on the show. This story with soon be posted on my own website, Smallville Stories:http://www.angelfire.com/realm/wolfhowl/smallvillehome.htm. Don't worry - there's more to come :)  
  
Mercy Date: Part 2  
  
by Angelina  
  
  
  
"Clark!! The limo's here." His mother's voice drifted up the stairs. Clark tugged on his suit jacket and took one last glance in the mirror, ruefully wishing that he had taken Lex up on his offer of a shopping spree in Metropolis a couple of days ago. But Clark knew his father's wishes and out of deference to them, he had respectfully declined. He knew Jonathan Kent wasn't exactly ecstatic about Clark using Lex's limo but the older man had acknowledged the safety and convenience of the arrangement and didn't forbid Clark from accepting.  
  
Clark took the stairs two at a time, an easy feat with his long legs and natural athletic grace. His parents stood at the bottom, his father's expression unreadable, his mother smiling. Clark had tried to reassure his dad that the party would be completely innocent, no alcohol tolerated because of the number of underage attendees. Jonathan had just grunted a hesitant okay and went back to work in the barn. Clark stopped in front of them as he walked towards the door and gazed down at his mother.  
  
"You look wonderful, Clark," Martha whispered as she picked an imaginary piece of lint off his suit distractedly. "I hope you kids have a great time tonight. It was very nice that you agreed to take Lana's cousin, sweetheart."  
  
Clark smiled one of his disarming, brilliant smiles and picked up his coat from the peg next to the door. "Yeah, I'd better go. Lana threatened me within an inch of my life if I didn't show up on time tonight."  
  
"Be careful, son," Jonathan Kent gruffly admonished. Clark knew it rose out of concern for his welfare, but sometime he wished his father would loosen up a bit. Clark just nodded and slipped into his dress coat before stepping out in the frigid winter air to the warm inviting limo ride to Lana's.  
  
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The plan had been that everyone who going was meet up at Lana's house, then Clark and the limo were to show up there around 7 o'clock. At seven on the nose, the limo slipped silently up the drive at Lana's; bright light from the windows spilled out to glow in patches across the frost-bitten lawn. The horse barns were dark shadowy lumps in the distance as Clark look out from the porch. He nimbly climbed the few steps to Lana's door and rung the doorbell.  
  
A few seconds later, the large glass-adorned door opened and there stood Nell, sophisticatedly dressed as always. She welcomed Clark and permitted him to wait in the foyer while she got the rest of the party. Lana walked out of one of the formal parlors, her soft dark hair piled in soft curls atop her head. Garbed in an iridescent red gown, she practically shimmered and glowed beneath the hallway chandelier. Clark swallowed hard, sneaking a brief up-down glance at her lavishly dressed form, and definitely regretted not shopping with Lex. He felt decidedly underdressed, especially after his escort for the evening followed Lana out into the entryway.  
  
"Clark, this is my cousin Lila." The girl standing behind her could help but be eclipsed by Lana in Clark's eyes. He immediately felt guilty about the ulterior motive behind escorting Lila to Lex's party. But Lana had been right, Lila was pretty...in the conventional sense. Her ash blond hair cascaded down her back in waves, its honey highlights softening its cool color. Her dress, ice blue in color, contrasted attractively with her light blue eyes and pale flawless complexion. A complete opposite of Lana, nonetheless attractive. Any other time Clark would have been flattered by the attention in the lovely woman's eyes, but his attention was completely focused upon Lana.  
  
"Uh...hi...Lila?" The blond woman nodded succinctly, noticing her escort's intense interest in her cousin Lana. She didn't comment on it, knowing it was tasteless to do so. However, she was going to have a talk with Lana when they got back home after the party. For now, it was an opportunity to get away from this yokel environment and off to more hospitable happenings. She knew who Lex Luthor was. What Metropolite didn't? And you certainly didn't skip an invitation to a function hosted by one of the wealthiest men in the country. As she looked Clark up and down assessingly, she came to the  
  
conclusion that the night could be quite bearable as long as he didn't embarrass her in any way. Lana had said Clark was a friend of Luthor himself, hence the limo and special attention, so in Lila's mind, the Smallville farmboy couldn't be all bad.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Clark." Her voice was coolly seductive, not Lana's innocent dulcet tones. All in all, Clark thought he could manage through the night with the 'mercy date', and would be the farm that even Lex would be impressed with the arrangement.  
  
"You showed up, and on time," Lana commented, a small smile forming upon her red lips. Clark turned a charming shade of crimson at the gentle reminder of past transgressions.  
  
"Lex sent the limo to make sure I got here and then for us to get to the estate."  
  
"Good thinking," Lana laughed. Her soft feminine laughter tickled Clark's ears, arousing him slightly. He was startled by his body's betrayal, desperately attempting to control his response to prevent any sort of embarrassment. It occurred to him that he had yet to see Whitney Fordman, the one thing he hadn't looked forward to this evening.  
  
"Where's Whitney?" Clark gazed around warily, half-expecting the blond quarterback to suddenly appear with the mention of his name.  
  
"He's running late and will have to meet us there. He had to go to Metropolis today to meet with some scouts," Lana responded brightly. Clark tried to be as polite and enthusiastic as he could, considering the situation. Would this be the right time to start praying that Whitney has car trouble on the way home?  
  
Lila spoke up. "Well, we'll be late if we don't get going. We don't want to keep Mr. Luthor waiting."  
  
"Actually, I think Lex's kinda used to it by now," Clark replied as he held out Lila's coat for her to slip into. He did the same for Lana, relishing the gentlemanly act a little more when her turn came. The three of them said good-bye to Nell and walked out to the waiting limousine.  
  
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Luthor Manor never ceased to amaze Clark. Not just it's bleak and massive majesty seated quite incongruously in the middle of a Kansas prairie. But also its eerie halls and expensive furnishings, and the fact that Clark realized he had only seen a tiny fraction of the actual house and he had been in more rooms than the farmhouse had. Festive music flowed from several strategically placed speakers around the grounds and inside the house. Inside the typical Dickensonian Christmas trimmings decked every wall and inanimate object. Lex had even hired a small group of costumed carolers to perform in one of the rooms. Overall, an overdone and overly lavish affair a la Luthor.  
  
The girls and Clark removed their coats and handed them to the unobtrusive servants, who just seemed to slink out of the woodwork at a polite request, then back again. Lana and Lila went on ahead, while Clark searched for Lex. Whom he found talking business in another room of the mansion. Clark knew Lex hated things like this and didn't really understand why he even threw them, but Clark's best guess was that Lex hated to be alone, especially around the holidays, even more. Maybe he should ask Lex to come and spend Christmas at the farm.  
  
Lex spied Clark from across the room and breathed a sigh of relief. Well, at least the wayward boy actually arrived on time. Now to do something about that hideously off-the-rack suit. Lex extricated himself from the vainglorious windbag speaking about antiquated business tactics and walked across the floor of the parlor, preparing himself to commit a most heinous and uncharacteristic gaff. Belying his usual agile grace honed from years of fencing, Lex Luthor tripped over a imaginary rough spot in the Aubusson carpet and spilled his completely full tumbler of brandy down the front of Clark's dark (and only good) suit. Auburn liquid streamed down Clark's white shirt, dark tie and heavy wool of his suit, staining it.  
  
"Oh, God, Clark....I'm so sorry." Lex's half-hearted and clumsy attempts to help sop up the wine only made the situation worse. Score one for Lex Luthor. Clark's shoulders slumped in defeat when he realized how mortifying the situation had become.  
  
"It's okay, Lex," Clark replied defeatedly. Now he'd never be able to show himself again. Lana would really think he was unreliable. Lex watched the woeful expression upon his best friend's face with hidden amusement. He took Clark by the arm and lead him around to the back stairs where the servants came and went through the house. Clark would never have imagined that Lex could have had enough strength to almost literally drag Clark up a flight of stair. "Lex, where are we going?"  
  
Lex simply smiled one of his enigmatic half-smiles and opened a door at the top of the stairs. A small bedroom was tucked behind the door, a stylishly handsome formal suit lay upon the bed's coverlet. "See if that will work." He nudged Clark inside and closed the door behind, quite satisfied with himself and the carefully laid plans of a high calibre matchmaker. Surprisingly the suit fit Clark as if it had been tailored for him. Maybe that wasn't so surprising after all. Lex Luthor always got his way, even Clark Kent was intelligent enough to realize that. He studied himself briefly in the mirror and feeling quite proud of his new  
  
attire, eventually found his way back down to the party. Lex hadn't been joking...it was easy to get lost in his house.  
  
Just wait until Lana saw him.....  
  
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Unfortunately he ran into Lila first when he rejoined the party. She noticed his change of clothing immediately and asked politely about it. Clark explained what had happened and of Lex's kind offer of alternative attire for the evening. Lila raised her light lashes and glanced up at Clark, who towered over her by almost a foot. "Your friend has very nice taste," she commented, stroking the material of his suit delicately with her fingertips. "Exquisite material." He could feel the movement of her fingers upon his arm, but there was none of the excitement he felt when he even got within 20 feet of Lana. Her soft, husky voice  
  
pierced through his reverie with a gentle inquiry. "I hope you don't find this rude, but would it be at all possible to meet your friend, Mr. Luthor? I would so very much like to thank him for inviting me to this lovely party."  
  
"Sure," Clark said hesitantly. He didn't want to distract Lex from the soiree again, but he also didn't want to be impolite to the young woman he was supposed to be accompanying tonight. He just hoped Lex wouldn't think him too much of a pest. "Let's go see if we can find him." Clark looked around the room, taking in its occupants. "By the way, where's Lana? Did Whitney ever get here?"  
  
"She's calling him right now to see where he is. I think she's a bit annoyed at him for not showing up."  
  
Lex slipped up behind the stylishly dressed couple and murmured, "Glad to see you could make it, Clark." He handed Clark a glass, the contents of which were unfamiliar to the younger man and for that reason, he refrained from taking a sip right away. Lex eyed Clark's date with an expression that could only be described as predatory. At least, this won't be so bad taking Clark's mercy date off his hands. "Are you going to introduce me to the exquisite creature by your side?"  
  
"Oh, sorry, Lex. This is Lana's cousin, Lila. Lila, this is Lex Luthor, the host of the party." Clark felt lame next to Lex's charm and sophistication. Lila held out her manicured hand in Lex's general direction, who in turn took it in his and raised it in a gallant gesture to his lips. Lila had the good breeding to meet his eyes briefly, then lower her blond lashes in a seductively flirtatious gesture.  
  
"What a pleasure to meet you, Lila," Lex purred. "Have you been enjoying yourself this evening?"  
  
"Very much, Mr. Luthor. It's been a wonderful party," Lila replied, this time her ice blue eyes meeting his steely ones.  
  
Lex turned to regard Clark for a moment. "I just let Lana use the phone in my office. She was trying to call Whitney to see why he was late. Why don't you go and check on her? I could stay here and entertain your date until you return. That is, if you do not object, Lila?" He smiled politely in the attractive woman's direction, instinctively knowing the little social climber wouldn't have a problem with leaving Clark's side, as attractive as he was, if she thought she could get somewhere with Lex. It wasn't out of conceit he understood this, it was simply experience. Lila nodded her acquiescence and Clark grinned briefly at Lex, knowing full well what the incorrigible matchmaker was up to.  
  
Clark wiggled his way through the dense crowd in the hallway until he came to the heavy wooden door of Lex's office. A room strictly off limits to party goers, but Lex had sent him on a mission of mercy, so to speak. The room was poorly lit, so Clark reached over and flicked the switch on the wall to illuminate the room. There on the leather settee across from Lex's desk was Lana, tears trickling down her face as she stared blankly at her hands. Clark moved immediately to sit down beside her, hesitant on how far he should attempt to comfort her.  
  
"Lana, what happened?"  
  
"This time Whitney's the no show. He had car trouble on the way back from Metropolis, and then got upset because I went on to the party without him...with you." She sniffed, blotting at her damp eyes with the back of her hand. When she brought her hand back to her lap, it was streaked with black mascara. She laughed softly. "I know I look a fright."  
  
"No, you don't." Clark whispered as he rubbed her shoulder consolingly. He shivered when the skin of his fingers grazed the warm exposed skin of her back. Lana gazed up at him with glittering eyes and smiled ruefully. "I didn't mean for you to have to miss the party."  
  
"It's okay. Lex's taking care of Lila, and he sent me in here to check on you."  
  
"Always the savior, huh?"  
  
"No..." Clark swallowed, trying desperately to organize his thoughts enough to manage a coherent sentence. "I just don't like to see my friends get hurt, that's all." Lana leaned against his shoulder companionably, but it was Clark could do to restrain himself from closing the distance between them and pressing his lips to hers. The silky strands of her hair tickled his neck as she snuggled closer, his body tensed with the innocent, but very intimate contact. His arm slipped involuntarily around her as they  
  
both relaxed against the back of the settee. His free hand he used to push back the dark waves from his forehead as he thought about what would be the best course of action. "Lana, remember the time I asked you why you went out with Whitney?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You said it was because he was always there for you. Because he made you feel safe."  
  
Lana leaned up to look into Clark's gleaming green eyes and murmured, "What are you getting at, Clark?"  
  
"I..uh..oh, I don't know..." His words drifted off as he lowered his face to hers, his full lips grazing her mouth in a timidly sensuous fashion.  
  
TBC.... 


	3. Chapter 3

His whole body felt as if on fire. With one caress and the liquid response of Lana's mouth, Clark could no more control the actions of his body than he could stop the earth from turning upon its axis. Theirs was an undiluted kiss of passion, pure and innocent with the first inkling of a stronger, overwhelming desire. Lana tasted luscious and sweet like finest of chocolate melting upon his tongue. Her body shivered within the confines of his sinewy arms, unprepared for the onslaught of emotions his simple kiss generated within her. Any rational thought or objections flew out of her mind as she gave herself permission to just receive  
  
and react in rhythm with Clark. Consequences be damned.  
  
Never in his most fanciful dreams would he have expected tonight to turn out like this. In a fleeting moment of clarity, Clark mentally noted that he should definitely find some way to thank Lex for his usually unwelcome interventions into his love life. This time it hadn't backfired in his face. No Whitney, no damsels in distress, no awkward shyness or stupid necklace to get in the way. The vivid thought of nothing coming between them brought him careening back to the present. He explored her with deep, gentle strokes of his tongue, his body masterfully fighting the insistent urge to give himself over to the conflagration that threatened to consume him. Random thoughts raced through his brain, mostly concerned with what he wanted to do with her - tasting her skin, the tips of her breasts, moving down the slight dip of her abdomen as he made his way to the curls at the apex of her thighs. Inexperienced he night be, but not unimaginative.  
  
They kissed even harder, her mouth now moving, ravishing his own, as they strained to press closer to each other. A soft feminine moan escaped her lips as she returned his ardent exploration. His hands moved from her back to her hips, pulling her tightly against his aroused member. Not even the surprise of the suddenly intimate gesture brought Lana out of her sensual reverie. He drew up so possessively against him that it seemed as though the heat of his body would fuse them into one. The touch of his mouth had a strange effect on Lana. The feel of his lips, firm and warm against her, the soft fabric of his tailored suit beneath her fingers and the satin-over- steel strength of his shoulders under her palms sent a quiver of sensation through her. Against her breasts she could feel the sudden thud of his rapid heartbeat. Pulse for pulse it match the rhythm of her own. Somewhere in the inner recesses of her subconscious, she knew that she stop him, that what they were doing was wrong. Then why in the world did it feel so right?  
  
Reluctantly she pushed against Clark, easing him back far enough to separate their lips. Dazedly he gazed down at her, his beautiful green eyes dilated with desire. His dark eyebrows creased with the confusion he didn't even bother to keep hidden. Lana craned her head back slightly to look up at him, his hands still resting upon her hips. "Clark," she whispered, her breath coming out in short shallow pants. She struggled to gather her thoughts enough to confront him with the quite uncharacteristic action he had just undertaken.  
  
Clark instinctively knew what she was about ready to say and wanted to put it off as long as possible. But his conscience wasn't about to permit him to take advantage of her as a distraction. "I know." It was more than a simple statement; it held his entire frustration and pent-up passion as well as his desperation for all of the times he was thwarted in his attempts to gain Lana's affection. Her indescisiveness about Whitney was as much as a talisman interferring in any possible relationship between them as the damned meteorite necklace she usually wore.  
  
Lana reached up and caressed the soft golden skin of his cheek, reading the raw emotion betrayed by his expressive eyes. She desperately didn't want to hurt him, he was too good for that. But she honestly didn't know what she wanted, his ardent kiss had proven that. Clark had proven he could be counted on, even if he didn't always show up on time. She found herself suddenly challenging the entire paradigm her life had existed in until now. Inexplicably, Clark had become the unexpected factor in her life...no matter that he wasn't the most popular or the star of the football team. But now was not the time or place to reevaluate her romantic relationships...it was too close and personal for her to be able to sort out her jumbled feelings.  
  
"I just have to think about this, Clark. It's all happening too fast."  
  
"I hadn't planned on doing that," he murmured into her hair. If he had wanted to, he could have rested his head upon the top of hers. He could smell the delicate scent of her shampoo, along with faint traces of an alluring perfume. He swallowed hard, trying to clear the giant size lump that had formed in his throat. "Not that I regret it," he shyly whispered. His heartfelt admission made Lana shudder from its impact. A panicky sensation rose in her throat, cutting off her ability to reply but reminding her that she desperately needed to flee before she gave into Clark's innocent seduction.  
  
She pushed away from Clark, a little harder than she had planned and replied apologetically, her voice clouded with an almost teary emotion. "I've got to go." She fled from the room, not bothering to shut the door behind her.  
  
Lana roamed the party, desperately looking for her cousin so that she could return home. Finally she spotted Lex, and with him was her cousin, who appeared quite the cat with the saucer of milk. Lex heard Lana's hurried approach and turned to face her, concern in his expression when he saw her dismay and the fact Clark wasn't with her. What the hell happened this time?  
  
"Lana, what is it? Is there something wrong?"  
  
"I'm not feeling well. We need to go home."  
  
"Lana..." Lila's objection came out at almost the level of a whine, but Lex had already distanced himself from her as he helped Lana find their coats. She followed along behind them, quite disappointed that they would be leaving so early. Lex pulled Lana over to the side, curious as to the sudden departure.  
  
"Lana, where's Clark?"  
  
"In your office, I think...That's where I left him." She sighed as she struggled into the coat that Lex held out to her.  
  
"Should I even ask what happened?"  
  
"It doesn't concern you, Lex."  
  
"It does when it involves Clark. He's my friend." The expression on Lex's face lost all of the holiday mirth it held just moments before. All that was reflected back now was a seriousness as deadly as the grave. He placed one hand tentatively on her shoulder, partly in friendship and partly to hold her there while he said his piece. "That day in the cafe...when I said I thought you were with the wrong guy, I was right.......And I think you know that now too. Don't you? Ask yourself in all that soul-searching you seem to do. Would I rather be a trophy on someone's arm, whose entire meaning in life is purely decorative? If so, no offense but I'd have to put you in the same category as your more metropolitan cousin. Or do you want more out of life, possibly in the position of a goddess in the eyes of a guy more worthy than anyone I know?"  
  
Lana visibly sagged at Lex's words. She saw the truth glimmering there, it was just too hard to admit it at the moment. "Please, Lex..." She pulled away from him and head for the door. Lex's parting shot echoed through the entryway, chasing her down and forcing her to hear it, even if she wasn't listening at the moment.  
  
"Then ask yourself: who showed up tonight, who did you the favor, and who would never let you down?"  
  
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"Here you are. Why in the hell didn't you go after her?" Lex stuck his head in his office to see Clark toying absently with the billiard balls on the pool table. "What did you do to scare her off like that?" His half- hearted attempt at levity wasn't even met with a tolerating smile from Clark, who looked as though he had just lost his best friend.  
  
Clark looked up from the captivating moves of the small hard orbs and stared at his friend for a moment. "I did something really stupid. I kissed her."  
  
Lex breathed a sigh of relief, exaggerated a bit for effect. "Is that all? God, you'd think the way you two were acting, it was the end of the world. Let me guess, you tried to comfort her while she was upset with Whitney...and things went from there." Clark nodded, stunned at the fact his friend was so astute. "Clark, don't look so surprised. That move is almost as good as negotiating a woman under the mistletoe, especially if she's a little tipsy. You just happen to play it off better than most guys because you're sincere about it. Speaking of mistletoe...." Lex pulled on his shirt and sprig of greenery slipped out. "That was  
  
starting to itch...don't ask."  
  
"Don't worry, I won't." Clark replied. "But Lex, you can't keep interfering like this. The suit and the limo, that was cool. The fact you held Whitney up really hurt Lana's feelings. I'd like him to disappear sometimes but not at her expense."  
  
"Listen Clark, you can choose to believe me or not but I didn't have anything to do with Whitney's no-show. All I did was plan the party, loan you the car, get your suit, take the mercy date off your hands ...nature did the rest. At the most, the jock was going to be held up by the coach, not his car, for a few minutes. I had no idea that he wouldn't make it at all. Not that I'm disappointed, but give me some credit here."  
  
"It doesn't matter anyway. She's not interested and I made a fool out of myself."  
  
"I can't say whether or not you made a fool out of yourself, but she IS interested. You just have to hang in there."  
  
Clark brightened at Lex's reassurance. "Okay...but what was with the mistletoe?"  
  
The end???  
  
**************************************************************************** ******  
  
Author's Notes: Okay....this is one version (probably the most likely of what would happen between them at this point). But for all of those insatiable people out there who want to see them actually...uh hem..."get it on" as they say in the vernacular, I am positing a potential steamy alternate ending. You'll just have to let me know what you think. Personally I love the picture of Lex with the mistletoe stuck in his shirt....makes you wonder what exactly he was up to. Hmmmm, another idea for a story perhaps???? 


End file.
